2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Cup of China Short Dance LIVE BLOG

3:24 I'm anxiously awaiting the Live feed, let's hope icenetwork gets it together soon!
3:29 Emily and Todd look very cute, it's great to see Emily back on competition ice!
3:31 We have some wild and crazy costumes from Yu & Wang, where are the maracas?
3:31 I love Charlotte Lichtman's dress, Dean is in solid black as were all the other Zouva & Shpilband-coached me in the short dance
3:34 It seems Igor has traveled with the teams this weekend and Marina is at home

1) Emily Samuelson & Todd Gilles
   Music: Samba, Mambo, Samba

• I don't know how I feel about these costumes, I'd love to see at least a little color or sparkle
• Really nice positions on that straight line lift
• Fabulous toe point and straight leg lines from Emily as used to
• The leg lines are a little broken in the Rhumba sequence, the unison needs work
• Really slow twizzles, some unison issues
• This step sequence looks quite labored to me, they seem to be perhaps under conditioned?

SD Score: 22.51 (TES) + 21.13 (PCS) = 43.64

2) Xiaoyang Yu & Chen Wang (CHN)
   Music: Cha Cha, Mambo, Rhumba

• Nice twizzle sequences
• I'm going to have nightmares about these costumes
• Good speed and attack going into this Rhumba sequence
• They're improved from last season which is great to see
• Very good unison on the circular not-touching step sequence, but the speed could increase for my taste
• Slight stumble by her right before the end but she held on

SD Score: 27.58 (TES) + 21.78 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 48.36

 3) Charlotte Lichtman & Dean Copely (USA)
   Music: Mambo No. 5, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps

• I love these guys, they're so sassy
• This is a perfect example of Zoueva/Shpilband catering to each team's needs and making them stand out in what they do
• Nice smooth entrance into the 1st Rhumba sequence, good smooth edgework
• Good twizzle work, I appreciate how close together they are
• Charlotte is a little stiff in her upper body today, I'd like to see her relax a little more out there
• Slight stumble by Dean in the circular not-touching step sequence, that will effect the level 
• These guys look just a little bit nervous, understandable for their first Senior Grand Prix but it's been a solid debut thus far
• They look solid, nothing junior-ish about this program

SD Score: 18.79 (TES) + 21.47 (PCS) = 40.26

 4) Penny Coomes & Nicholas Buckland (GBR)
   Music: El Bess del Findl, Let's Get Loud

• They could stand to point their feet harder and really stretch through the free leg in the Rhumba sequences
• And here's our second "Let's Get Loud" of the day; how many more should I expect? I like the small detail work in the circular step sequence from the hand and head gestures to the shimmies
• Very odd ending pose, I couldn't tell if she fell or if that was the choreography

SD Score: 28.85 (TES) + 25.04  (PCS) = 53.89

5) Xintong Huang & Xun Zheng (CHN)
   Music: Mambo, Rhumba, Samba

• These costumes are killing me, my eyes!
• She bails a little early on the first twizzle set
• Her free arm is really stiff on this 1st Rhumba set, but their speed is nice
• I missed what happened, but it looked like a botched lift or something going into the circular step sequence
• Nice hydroblade move, I appreciate that people are still doing those, though this one wasn't the best I've seen by any means
• I think they're running out of steam here at the end
• Dramatic final position upside down
• That lift will receive zero points

SD Score: 21.73 (TES) + 23.34 (PCS) = 45.07

 6) Pernelle Carron & Lloyd Jones (FRA)
   Music: Mambo, Rhumba, Mambo

• Slight unison issue in twizzles, but decent speed
• She has a very nice free arm in the 1st Rhumba sequence, expressive and free-flowing
• Something about this program isn't really doing much for me, it's just not dynamic enough, a little flat thus far
• It begins to pick up a little more with the 2nd piece of music
• They're losing a little control in the step sequence, it's getting a bit wild
• I like they're energy, but they need more polish

SD Score: 25.35 (TES) + 27.06 (PCS) = 52.41

 7) Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev (RUS)
   Music: Samba, Rhumba, Samba

• They have never looked like stars to me, I wonder how long they can honestly hold onto the top spot in Russia?
• Botched exit form the 1st twizzle set
• I love me some theatrics, but she is way over the top in her facial expressions, even for me!
• Their speed is good, but she is flailing out of control
• This program is very 1990s Russian ice dance

SD Score: 32.50 (TES) + 33.23 (PCS) = 65.73

 8) Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA)
   Music: Batuca, Skip to the Bip, Jazz Machine

• I like Maia's new dress, much more mature than the old blue dress
• They look like a senior team
• Very quick footwork, precision is key
• That move where Alex flips her around with one arm has improved so much since Finlandia
• Perfectly matched leg line in Rhumba sequence 1
• Nobody twizzles like them, and they do the optional 3rd set
• They pay attention to everything, down to finger and head placements
• Very smooth and even speed throughout
• Maia looks much more mature this season, she is just carrying herself differently this season than at the start of 2010
• This is such a clean program, what a debut for the beginning of the season

SD Score: 27.71 (TES) + 30.08 (PCS) = 57.79